worried!

[Gracie]

bit worried at min Gracie been in out of vets past few days with upset tum we think, she started one night whining and pacing being sick, but settled, ate the next morn a tiny bit kept it down so gave her more later, she sicked that up, then was ill during the night so took to vets, then vets wanted to see here next day, she ate breckkie this morn and tea last night, not been to loo, seemed to pick up, but then started again, took her in to be xrayed, and her food still in tum from 8am, they said it should have moved, so now has to go to emerg vets for some dye put in to see if blockage, feel really worried, only thing i can think she had was a hazelnut that she stole from a forreo roc... (you know what i mean cant spell it!) would could that have caused a prob? that was stole on the even about 6pm and it started about 12midnight thateve.

[*Lassie*]

So sorry Gracie can't offer any advice or words of wisdom but paws all crossed that she will be OK

[DawnG]

Sorry no advice either but hope she's feeling better soon 

[Val]

Sorry Gracie this post did not show up in my unreads, I don't think the hazelnut would be this damaging, but it could of upset her gut then she has started a cycle of sickness.
If she was mine I would not have given her food just to try and rest the gut.
It maybe her bowel has gone into spasm or there is just not enough in there to move it on.
Your vet seen to have his finger on the pulse so hopefully by now she is OK
Hugs to the girl
Val

bit worried at min Gracie been in out of vets past few days with upset tum we think, she started one night whining and pacing being sick, but settled, ate the next morn a tiny bit kept it down so gave her more later, she sicked that up, then was ill during the night so took to vets, then vets wanted to see here next day, she ate breckkie this morn and tea last night, not been to loo, seemed to pick up, but then started again, took her in to be xrayed, and her food still in tum from 8am, they said it should have moved, so now has to go to emerg vets for some dye put in to see if blockage, feel really worried, only thing i can think she had was a hazelnut that she stole from a forreo roc... (you know what i mean cant spell it!) would could that have caused a prob? that was stole on the even about 6pm and it started about 12midnight thateve.

[tri 'n snatch it bonnie girl]

how is she now ?

[Gracie]

Well, bloody vets, the emerg vet wanted to cut her open at 7pm on 23rd, but OH siad no do the test with the dye and then take it from there, poor mite fed up vets and jabs think she snapped at our normal vets they put it in notes so emerg vet wanted to muzzle her immediatly, OH said no - tho she prob was muzzled when he left  (she doesnt snap snap just a warning)

anyway about £1000 later the dye went through ok and she back to herself thank goodness. we insured tho so will get it back, just feel bad that we maybe jumped the gun taking her to the vets so much as think now she was picking up on the day i 1st posted but had some tummy ache that made her cry.

[Val]

£1000 Thud as I hit the floor I am so cross this did not come up in the posts on the day you posted it, Seems I was right just needed a gut rest and time.
Good on Hubby for saying no to opening her up
Val

Well, bloody vets, the emerg vet wanted to cut her open at 7pm on 23rd, but OH siad no do the test with the dye and then take it from there, poor mite fed up vets and jabs think she snapped at our normal vets they put it in notes so emerg vet wanted to muzzle her immediatly, OH said no - tho she prob was muzzled when he left  (she doesnt snap snap just a warning)

anyway about £1000 later the dye went through ok and she back to herself thank goodness. we insured tho so will get it back, just feel bad that we maybe jumped the gun taking her to the vets so much as think now she was picking up on the day i 1st posted but had some tummy ache that made her cry.

[tri 'n snatch it bonnie girl]

Hi,

Well done to your OH I know just how difficult it is to stand up to vets - I felt under so much pressure to be giving my dog 'the best care' ...

Licks to Gracie girlie x x x

I hope to goD if you have M&S insurance your vet agrees it was deemed emergency treatment or they wont pay out.  I had this with Bonnie - luckily my vets backed me up....

tip: for next time - rest first as Val says and then get some natural food dye and give her a chicken + rice meal cooking the rice in dyed water to use as a marker.  save you £1000 and your dog being labelled a biter - i would talk with your vets about this and get it taken off or change practice because it'll come up every time you take her in now and it'll piss you off !!

Val - you would have probably passed out with the barrage of diagnostics and reccommendations for my gorgeous boy ...  and £2,500 just to assist with diagnosis (not even provide firm one).  Still I was made to feel like I murdered him.  The vet just literally could not understand why I chose to let him go.  What do they teach them at these universities

Claire x

[Val]

I fear they teach mosts vets it's a business and not a vocation.
To be honest the age of insurance as been the death of the caring vet that works with animals for the love of the animals, and still made a good living
Val

Val - you would have probably passed out with the barrage of diagnostics and reccommendations for my gorgeous boy ...  and £2,500 just to assist with diagnosis (not even provide firm one).  Still I was made to feel like I murdered him.  The vet just literally could not understand why I chose to let him go.  What do they teach them at these universities

Claire x

[Gracie]

hi thanks both will rest next time, i just panic.
we with petplan, and only rang the emrg vet for advice the 1st time and they told us to come in to make sure not bloat, and our vet told us to go to emerg vet for the dye test, they were baffled with her as did not know what it could be, as she had the anti sick jabs and normally they do the trick, she was going to hewr bowl ans licking what was ther but not eating, she wouldnt even eat cooked chicken from my hand, just licked it!

but she all back to normal now, might go have a word with the vets then about the snapping, as our vets usually seem pretty good and seem to know which jabs may cause a dog to react in pain and which ones dont and are normally ok for us to hold her. it was just an onvernight vet that was a bit of a wuss OH said he was jumping out the way before she even really reacted.
think i may buy a muzzle anyway and get her used to one, just in case may cause less stress in the long run.

you walk into a vet now and 1st q is are they insured as if that should really make a diff to treatment. and the vet that wanted to open her up, know what he asked? how much is she insured up to!!

[Mudgie]

Unfortunately there are a lot of owners who want the treatment and then dont pay.  And although it doesnt make a difference to you about the cost of treatment it does to a lot of people.  It is a business after all.  The amount of bad debt there is through vets and private practice is horrendous. 

They ask because they have bills to pay also.  It isnt a free service but some people treat it like it is.  A lot of owners arent insured and then expect vet to wait to be paid over 6 months or so.  You dont go to sainsburys and buy your shopping and expect to pay weeks later.  Even if you pay on credit card sainsburys get paid there and then.  They provide service just like vet does. 

When dog is ill it is the last thing you want to be asked or even be thinking of but the vet does it to earn a living also.

[tri 'n snatch it bonnie girl]

Hi,

I am disgusted, referral bill for William came this morning - over £400 for what must have been 20 mins max of telling me he wasnt sure what was wrong.

If they did really make an honest living and didnt charge such rediculous prices maybe more people would pay up !!!  

The specialist just kept saying to me - you're insured so dont worry about the cost.  OK then I'll just put my beloved friend through hell for weeks because you think its right and you refuse to understand that i need to let him go because i love him so much.  

You find me 1 vet who can justify over £400 for 20mins of their time as a consultation and I might think about laying off them - i mean actually justify it in terms of outgoings, training etc ...

I'm disgusted and I hope he gets his when the time comes.

Claire.

[Val]

It does not surpise me Claire have heard of refurral bills much higher than yours.
Mudgie I do not agree vets in the UK are on the whole ripping us off big time and it has a lot to do with insurance they just pull figures out of the air.
There are still some good vets but by doG they are far and few berween.

It's about time they were made to justify their charges if you go to Sainburys the price in on the packet if you go to a vet the biggest worry is the bill with all the extra add on's.
I know when I lost Layla I had over £700  listed under sundries.
I have seen vets in the same town charge £600 difference for the same treatment it should not be allowed
Val

Hi,

I am disgusted, referral bill for William came this morning - over £400 for what must have been 20 mins max of telling me he wasnt sure what was wrong.

If they did really make an honest living and didnt charge such rediculous prices maybe more people would pay up !!!  

The specialist just kept saying to me - you're insured so dont worry about the cost.  OK then I'll just put my beloved friend through hell for weeks because you think its right and you refuse to understand that i need to let him go because i love him so much.  

You find me 1 vet who can justify over £400 for 20mins of their time as a consultation and I might think about laying off them - i mean actually justify it in terms of outgoings, training etc ...

I'm disgusted and I hope he gets his when the time comes.

Claire.

[Sweetypye]

Hmmm well let us look at it from another point of view.  What ARE the outgoings for a vet?

First of all he has to pay back all the money spent whilst studying (more years at Uni etc than a GP)
then he has to buy his way into a practice

Find somewhere to live
buy a car
petrol
road tax
insurance
fuel

premises
electiricty
gas
water
phone
internet
council tax
cost of removing controlled waste
advertising
staff
NI
wages
uniforms
laundry
equipment
maintenance of
consumables
CPD training
PLI insurance
ELI insurance
Be on call 24/7 or make arrangements for
All the paperwork involved in dealing with pet insurance companies

The reason most people moan about vets is they have not got a CLUE what hospital care for HUMANS really is as the majority use the NHS.

Try living in another country then perhaps the vet bills will not seem out of whack.

Oh and the starting salary for a vet, less than £20k per annum plus they have the highest rate of suicide in any profession.

They have to deal with owners, staff, partners, animals and try to please everyone.

So whilst you are all knocking them, please remember that you can shop around in most cases and that standard charges are available to see on demand and there is nothing to stop you having your dog treated by another vet if you are dissatisfied with your current one.

[Val]

I hardly think the few on here are all knocking vets I did say there are some good ones around as for this list it could be a list for a dog groomer reminds me of me when I had the shop I am sure Suz would reconize this list too.
Anyone that works for themselves has a list that long.

I am sure my old vet running one of the top hospitals could give you a list of the training the practice had to put into new vets, they got their accommodation supplied and their car and they still were not happy they wanted their weekends free, they do Not buy their way into a practice they pay for a partnership but not just to work as an employed vet
They would not even be offered a partnership without putting in the work to prove there worth.

The most expensive part of setting up a vets practice is the equipment 90% of the drugs are cheap and a lot are given by the makers as loss leaders things like wormers,flea treatments, vaccines are less than a fiver.
I would never say a good vet doesn't earn his money the good ones work long hours and deserve a good wage but since insurance came in it's one big rip off with prices totally out of control.
This also gives a way for the not so good vets being able to open up their own practice.

As for changing vets for some it's not so easy I have had six years of having a business run as a vets with business hours and over pricing on everything.
I am lucky a new practice has opened only 40 mins from me with a full hospital service and reasonable costs still makes my heart miss a beat but I am not worried I have the back up of a full service for my dogs and that is what is important the practice owner is also a qualified cardiologist/Ophtalmology I am a happy bunny.
I have lived and worked abroad also have hundreds of friends outside the UK and I still think the pricing is in utter chaos here in the UK

This mail is the sort of thing I find hard to answer

2 nights on a drip with ****** £300.00

2 nights four years later with ****** one night on the same medication for the same problem £16.00 per night and £48.00 for the meds.

These two vets are within a mile of each other up north.

Just heard of a friend paying £1,100 for an in hours ceaser 11am she left the vets with three dead pups for that money these pups still had heart beats half hour before he opened her up, you tell me how that is justified?

Val